ForEx

Read Ted Te's lips on SC's DAP ruling

by Kathlyn dela Cruz, ABS-CBNnews.com

Posted at 07/01/2014 8:34 PM | Updated as of 07/01/2014 8:40 PM

MANILA - Supreme Court (SC) spokesperson Theodore Te refused to categorically say that the Aquino administration's Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), as a whole, is unconstitutional even if the high court has declared its salient points as illegal.

He said the full decision of the high court, along with the reasons behind the decision, will be released "as soon as possible." He could not, however, give a time frame.

According to Te, the SC voted unanimously to declare as unconstitutional specific acts and practices under the DAP:

a) The withdrawal of unobligated allotment from the implementing agencies and the declaration of the withdrawn unobligated allotments and unreleased appropriations as savings prior to the end of the fiscal year and without complying with the statutory definition of savings contained in the General Appropriations Act (GAA);

c) Funding of projects and activities and programs that were not covered by any appropriation in the GAA;

The SC also declared void the use of unprogrammed funds despite the absence of a certification by the National Treasurer that the revenue collections exceeded the revenue targets for non-compliance with the conditions provided by the GAA.

GOV'T LIABILITY FOR DAP

Meanwhile, Te also refused to comment on whether or not government officials will be held liable for the DAP.

He explained that the dispositive portion of the SC's ruling that he read earlier did not mention anything about accountability of officials involved in the DAP.